Wisconsin Courts Bring Civil Rights into Question

According to the Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin courts are taking a close look at how law enforcement treat their suspects as they perform searches and conduct investigations. The courts are particularly interested in how the law enforcement treats the men and women of other races who may be persecuted as a minority in the state. Recently, a Milwaukee police officer told a suffocating man that he was breathing just fine as he conducted an illegal strip search. The officer who was in charge of arrested Derek Williams told him that he was breathing just fine, and thought the suspect was putting on an act in order to be released from the squad car. Yet the officer was wrong, and Williams died in the back of the vehicle when he suffocated. The officer who allowed William’s death has also been charged for conducting an illegal strip search and watching while other officers committed the illegality.

All documents from the illegal strip searches and William’s saddening death point to one problem. The issue regards the way that the Milwaukee police officers treat racial minorities who are suspects in criminal activity. According to the courts, the evidences that have been found are pointing to the necessity for a sweeping federal investigation. The investigation will look at a pattern of potential civil rights abuses by police officers in the area. The U.S. Attorney James Santelle says that he has spent months discussing such an inquiry with Tom Perez, an assistant attorney general. A team of investigators will take a very close look at the situation before taking action. If you have been abused by a police officer when arrested for a crime in Wisconsin, then you need to talk to a lawyer at our firm. We can use this wrongdoing to help you lessen or eventually dismiss your sentences. Talk to us right away for more information!